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Following Jesus • 14 / The Significance of Light

When you stop at a friend’s house and everything is dark, it means they’re not there. No lights, nobody home.

That’s how it was in Israel. Throughout the Old Testament, God’s presence was signaled by light. Whether in the temple, through the prophets, or by divine intervention, light meant God was there. But Israel lost interest in God’s presence, and after generations of idolatry and wickedness, the nation went dark.

Now, four dark centuries later, comes an explosion of light. God’s glory, radiating from an angel and terrifying the local shepherds, signals a staggering turn of events. God has returned!

That angel — and all his friends — brought outrageous news. God has come to deliver us. Not just the Jews, but all people.

By calling Him Savior, Christ, and Lord, the angel declared Jesus to be the promised One, come to deliver mankind from the penalty of sin. He also declared Him to be God. That’s how Jesus makes peace with God possible — because Jesus is God, come to make peace with us.

This is the good news announced by the angels. The lights were back on! Those first eyewitnesses immediately went and verified what they’d heard. Then they proclaimed it to all who would listen. Do you believe their testimony?